Close Quarters
by Writersblock42
Summary: Vegeta x Bulma Pirate AU where the two are on a hunt to find a magical treasure that could help them destroy the Cold empire. A series of ten drabbles written for the November 2017 BVDN.


**A/N: This is my submission for the November 2017 BVDN. The theme was "The Perfect Storm" so of course I was unoriginal and did a pirate AU!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own DBZ or the characters, that honour belongs to Akira Toriyama. I use British English spelling.**

* * *

 **The Calm** **(107 words)**

Bulma slipped through the docks, gathering her skirts as she ran. Booted footsteps followed her, creaking on the floorboards as they searched for her by gaslight.

Chest heaving, she ducked behind the boxed cargo off a brigantine, holding her breath as she listened to low voices arguing about her whereabouts, and praying that the gently sloshing water next to her covered her harsh breaths.

A heavy hand landed on her shoulder, making her yelp. She stood up and wrenched herself out of the grip, but the movement made her stumble. Bulma tipped backwards off the wharf, hitting the black waters and disturbing the calm with a splash.

* * *

 **Wind** **(115 words)**

Vegeta watched as she plummeted into the black depths. He hesitated for a moment, tossing up between his distaste for swimming in saltwater - ironic for a pirate, he knew - and the money she'd likely fetch from the group of thugs pursuing her.

Letting out a sigh, he set down his cutlass and feathered hat, kicked off his boots, then jumped in.

The moonlight barely pierced the water's surface, but he made out her floundering figure and kicked out towards her. Catching the lace of her corset, he dragged her towards him then swam upwards, breaking the surface with a gasp as the cool wind hit his face, reminding him he could breathe again.

* * *

 **Waves** **(115 words)**

He hauled them onto the docks, coughing out saltwater. As he remained on his hands and knees beside the sputtering female, a pair of boots came into view.

"Captain. You found my fiancé."

Vegeta looked up with a snarl at the familiar voice. He staggered to his feet, glaring daggers at Zarbon, any thought of selling the woman replaced by a need to steal her away.

"Hand her over, Vegeta."

Vegeta growled as Zarbon's men surrounded them but the woman caught his eye, flicking her gaze to his cutlass hidden next to the cargo box beside her.

When she threw it to him, he caught it deftly then began cutting through the men in waves.

* * *

 **Confluence (107 words)**

"He's not my fiancé," she insisted, tugging the blanket tighter to halt the shivering caused by her damp clothes and the knowledge that Zarbon, while injured, still lived.

Her rescuer said nothing, crossing his arms and fixing his cold, dark gaze upon her.

"He's after this." Bulma unlatched her locket and placed it on the desk between them, praying she was right to trust the pirate. She showed him how the metal locket unfolded to make a tiny map. Picking up a magnifying glass, she held it so the engravings became legible. "At the confluence of these two rivers, lays a treasure that can grant any wish."

* * *

 **Tempest** **(107 words)**

"You may have these quarters," Vegeta said, ushering her in and extracting his arm from hers.

Bulma glanced around, wide eyed. "Aren't these your rooms?"

"I will be fine in my office. Up here you will at least be out of the way."

Bulma gave him a brilliant smile then placed a soft hand on his forearm before leaning in to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, Captain."

Vegeta flushed and escaped the room, closing the door. He strode back down to his office, attempting to ignore how the simple press of her lips on his skin had left his insides as chaotic as the tempest brewing outside.

* * *

 **Destruction (109 words)**

He was handsome, Bulma realised, taking in his sharp features and the tan, muscular arms revealed thanks to his white rolled up sleeves. She hadn't noticed last night, feeling too cold and scared to notice.

She took a dainty bite of the unrecognisable meat in her plate, attempting not to grimace at the lack of flavour, then picked up the brandy he'd offered to wash it down.

"You never told me your wish," Vegeta said, eying her with a gaze that lit a fire in her core.

"It is the same as yours." Bulma met his stare over her glass. "I wish for the destruction of the Cold empire."

* * *

 **The Eye** **(118 words)**

"Legend says, Dragon Balls can only be used by the pure of heart," Bulma said, studying the paper the captain had judiciously copied the map onto.

Vegeta chuckled huskily, brushing his arm against hers as he tugged the map closer. "Lucky we have you. No one else here comes close."

"What makes you think _I'm_ pure of heart?"

" _Please_." Vegeta looked sideways at her and reached out a gloved finger to trail a line down her cheek, making her breath hitch. "You radiate innocence."

Bulma opened her mouth to reply, but found herself at a loss for words. His gaze was like staring into the eye of a storm, calm on the surface while something wild brewed underneath.

* * *

 **Surge** **(107 words)**

"Goodnight," she said, pausing with her back against the door and her hand on the doorlatch.

Vegeta remained on the step below her, swallowing her with his dark eyes. "Goodnight," he replied, his voice raspy from the half bottle of brandy they'd consumed.

The ship surged, rocking him forward and he staggered up onto her step, placing his hands on either side of the door beside her and pressing his chest against hers.

She emitted a small gasp at his proximity, but didn't open the door behind her to escape. Instead, she fell into his stare and closed the gap between them, crushing her lips against his.

* * *

 **Waning Tides (108 words)**

"Get down!" Vegeta yelled, throwing himself on top of her.

Bulma screamed as the brigantine shuddered and groaned and the men's yells from above board crescendoed.

"What's happening?" she gasped as Vegeta clambered off her.

"Canon fire," he replied. "Stay here."

Ignoring his instructions, she followed him onto the deck, where men scrambled to frantically load canons for retaliatory fire.

Vegeta shoved a man out of the way and aimed a canon himself, blasting a hole through the ship speeding towards them.

"Don't worry," Vegeta said, baring his teeth into a nasty grin as he looked out at Zarbon's struggling schooner. "We'll lose them on the waning tide."

* * *

 **The Seven Seas** **(116 words)**

"We found them," she said breathlessly, staring at the seven golden orbs winking up at her in the sunlight.

"And we only had to cross the seven seas to get here." Vegeta's perpetual frown gave way to a quirking of his mouth as he motioned her forward. "Get on with it, woman."

Bulma rolled her eyes but raised her hands and shouted into the winds. "Shenron, I summon you!"

The sky darkened and the ground shook with so much intensity that Bulma stumbled back into Vegeta's arms.

"You have three wishes," the dragon in the sky intoned when the rumbling stopped.

"Wait…" Vegeta's face broke out into a full grin as he looked at Bulma. " _Three_?"

* * *

 **A/N: There you have it! Let me know what you thought about my first ever attempt at a drabble. Please review!**


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